Layerout gauge

ABSTRACT

A tool for use by structural steel layerout men which allows the simultaneous marking of beam shear lines and hole positions in both the flange and web of the beam, the tool including a unitary broad strip frame member formed with a flat web portion to lie adjacent the beam&#39;&#39;s web and a U-shaped flange portion fitted over the beam&#39;&#39;s flange, the web portion and a flange portion mounted movable flange gauge strip both include a plurality of gauge slots for respectively laying out the web and flange of a structural beam while shear lines perpendicular to the elongate outer surface of the beam&#39;&#39;s flange may be marked off on the beam&#39;&#39;s web along the parallel side edges of the web portion of the tool.

States Patent 1 Unite Sloan et al.

[ 1 May 8, 1973 [54] LAYEROUT GAUGE 22 Filed: Nov.l,l97l

21 Appl.No.:194,720

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1912 Hernlund ...33/189 X8/1929 Poppock 10/1931 McDanel ..33/l89 X Primary Examiner-L0uis R.Prince Assistant Examiner-Charles E. Phillips Att0rney-Johnl-loltrichter, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A tool for use by structural steel layerout men whichallows the simultaneous marking of beam shear lines and hole positionsin both the flange and web of the beam, the too] including a unitarybroad strip frame member formed with a flat web portion to lie adjacentthe beams web and a U-shaped flange portion fitted over the beamsflange, the web portion and a flange portion mounted movable flangegauge strip both include a plurality of gauge slots for respectivelylaying out the web and flange of a structural beam while shear linesperpendicular to the elongate outer surface of the beams flange may bemarked off on the beam s web along the parallel side edges of the webportion of the tool.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDKAY 81915 3.731.390

Fig.5

49 A- n l 5| O J Hum JH m um mum u i L Y H 1 w 33 LAYEROUT GAUGEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be setforth in two parts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains generally to thefield of tools, and more particularly to gauges used by layeroutersworking with structural beams and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Layout work on structural steel membersinvolves the marking of shear lines for cutting beams to a desiredlength and marking the center of holes to be provided in the web andflanges of a beam to receive rivets and bolts in the buildingconstruction process. This task is complicated by the fact that beamshave different weights and sizes and variations in these categories dueto such factors as lack of good quality control. Accordingly, web andflange dimensions may vary, even for a given specified standard size orweight beam, and the layerouter must be able to still provideconsistently accurate measurements so that the beams may be easilyassembled in the building structure.

In order to provide accurate work, dimensions are measured from certainstandard points on the beam which do not vary. Thus, the lengths of thebeam and points anywhere along the longitudinal dimension thereof aremeasured from only one end of the beam. Likewise, all dimensions acrossa beams web are measured from the outer surface of one of its flanges,and positions across the outer face of the flanges are measured fromeither side of the center of the web thickness.

In the past, such work has been accomplished by the use of calipers andother simple, usually handmade, tools which proved to be inconsistent inaccuracy and difficult to hold in place while marking. Later, simpleU-shaped tools were developed for measuring distances across the'web ofa structural beam, measuring from the outside face of the beam flanges.This too] had no width dimension parallel to the length of the beam andcould all too readily be disposed at an angle other than perpendicularlyacross the beam, and resulted in errors in marking. Also, these devicesprovided no means for compensating for wear, accidental stretching,etc., and were thus unreliable and fragile.

The prior art also includes specialized beam gauges which could onlyefficiently perform a single function. For example, one such toolincluded a frame supporting a movable scale bar with a straight edgedisposed transversally thereto, the bar having a pair of rollers whichtraveled on the beams web whereby the center of the beam web could bescribed. However, this type of device had no provision for accuratelysetting out marks or positions at a desired distance from an end of abeam. Constructions of this type have been flimsy, tending to be easilybent and misaligned, and therefore inaccurate.

Yet other devices in the art designed for layout work are moreelaborate, some including calibrated wheels and arms with vise-like jawsand center line indicating arms therebetween and which providemeasurements of the flanges of beams. Also in this category aretemplate-holding tools with complicated frame structures which span theflanges of a beam and hold selected templates over the web of the beam,a different template being required for every different hole patternneeded in the beam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing factors and conditionscharacteristic of the prior art, it is a primary object of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved construction beam layout gaugenot subject to the disadvantages enumerated above.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a durable,rugged, and compact layout gauge for use in locating shear lines andcenters of holes to be made in flanges and webs of a structural member,such as I-l-beams, I-beams, and the like.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide alow-cost highly efficient and lightweight layout gauge which is simple,yet readily adjustable for use with beams of various sizes and weights.

It is also another object of the present invention to provide a layoutgauge which permits hole center marking on both the flange and web of astructural beam without movement of the tool.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide alayout gauge which is rapid in operation and which is readilycompensatable for wear and rough usage.

According to the present invention, a layout gauge for laying outstructural steel beams and the like includes a unitary broad strip framemember having a web portion with parallel side edges and carrying aplurality of parallel spaced relatively narrow web gauge slotsperpendicular to the side edges, the flange portion being adapted to lieflat adjacent the web of a structural beam. The frame also has anelongate U-shaped flange portion adapted to fit over but not touch aflange of a structural beam. An inner arm of the flange portion extendsessentially orthogonally from an end of the web portion and an outer armthereof is essentially parallel to an outer surface of a flange of astructural beam and parallel to the inner arm of the flange portion, butextending beyond the web portion by a distance approximately the lengthof the inner arm. The outer arm also has a relatively wide elongateflange opening centrally along a major portion of the length thereof.The gauge also includes means for holding the side edges of the webportion orthogonal or perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of theouter flange surface of a structural beam. Further, a movable flangegauge strip is included which has a plurality of parallel spaced,relatively narrow flange gauge slots perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis thereof, the flange gauge strip being slidably mounted on the outerarm of the flange gauge slots adjacent the elongate opening.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING H6.1 is a side elevational view of a presently preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the gauge seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the gauge of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing, and moreparticularly to FIGS. 1 3, there is shown a layout gauge for laying outstructural steel beams and the like, constructed in accordance with apresently preferred embodiment of the present invention. The gauge maybe used with any structural beam having a web and flanges and is hereinidentified by reference numeral II in FIG. 1. The beam 11 thus includesa web 13 and flanges 15, only one being shown for the sake ofsimplicity. The gauge includes a unitary constructed broad faced stripframe member 17 having a web portion 19 with parallel side edges 21 andcarrying a plurality of parallel spaced and relatively narrow web gaugedslots 23 perpendicular to the side edges 21. It can be seen that the webportion 19 is adapted to lie flat against or immediately adjacent theweb 13, and also has an elongate U-shaped flange portion 25 adapted tofit over but not touch the flange 15. An inner arm 27 of the flangeportion 25 extends essentially orthogonally from an end of the webportion 19, and an outer arm 29 thereof being essentially parallel to anouter surface 31 of the flange and parallel to the inner arm 27,butextending beyond the web portion 19 by a distance approximately thelength of the inner arm 27. The outer arm 29 has a relatively wideelongate flange opening 33 essentially along a major portion of thelength thereof.

Adjustable means, such as finger operated selectively movable set screws35 mounted adjacent the edges 37 of the outer arm 29, are provided forholding the side edges 21 of the web portion 19 perpendicular ororthogonal to the longitudinal dimension or axis of the l outer flangesurface 31 of the beam. Slidably mounted on the outer arm 29 of theflange portion is a movable flange gauge strip 39 having a plurality ofparallel spaced and relatively narrow flange gauge slots 41 which areperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strip 39'and locatedadjacent the elongate opening 33.

Preferably, the gauge frame member 17 is fabricated using an extrusionprocess wherein a broad channel 43 with sides 45 and lower surface 47 isprovided along the entire length of the member 17 (see FIG. 4). Ascan'be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the web gauge slots 23 are milled, cut orotherwise provided in the relatively thinwalled lower surface 47 forease of accurately marking a beam s web with a scribe or thin linesoapstone, for example.

In the outer arm 29 of the flange portion 25, the channel 43 houses theflange gauge strip 39 which is slidably retained therein by transversestraps 49 and 51. A finger operated set screw 53 is mounted in the upperstrap 49 to to engage and temporarily hold the strip 39 at a desiredposition, as will later be described in more detail, 1

In using the tool to lay out a beam 11, for example, the beam is usuallypositioned with its web parallel to the horizontal and a conventionaltape measure is first laid along the length of the on its web, startingfrom the work point at one end thereof. The layout gauge is then placedadjacent the beam with its flange portion 25 over a flange edge and itsweb portion 19 against the upper surface of the bearns web 13, asillustrated in FIG. 1, for example. Following the specifications forlaying out the beam, the layer outer will note the distance for theholes to be laid out closest to the work point. He then slides the tooluntil one of the side edges 21 (preset to be with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the beam by equal adjustment of each of the setscrews 35) coincides with the desired tape measure indicium, lyingdirectly under the web portion 19; A scribe, thin line soapstone orother marking instrument is then moved across the web in sliding contactwith the same straight edge 21, and the scribe placed in a web gaugeslot 23 marked with an indicium 55 indicating a desired distance fromthe flange s outer surface 31. Each one or alternate ones of the slots23 may be provided with appropriate indicium 55, and the accuracy ofthese web slot positions may be assured over extended periods of evenrough usage by the sue of the adjustment set screws 35 (whilemaintaining the 90 straight edge relationship noted previously.) Withoutagain necessitating the movement of the gauge, the beam flange 15 may belaid out by moving the scribe, etc. along a particular flange gauge slot41 having an indicium 57 of a distance-from-web-center. It will be seenin FIG. 3 that the flange gauge strip 39 is marked with an index line59. Prior to the use of the gauge on any beam, the b'eams web thicknessis known by its weight, size and manufacturing specifications and thestrip 39 moved in the channel 43 until the index 59 registers with aweb-thickness indicium 61 equal to onehalf the known thickness of theweb. Thus, if the web is one half inch thick, the set screw 53 is backedoff and the strip 39 moved until the index 59 registers with the webthickness indicium 61 indicating one fourth inch. The set screw is againtightened and from then on the slot opposite the index 59 is positionedat the centerof the beam webs width and each slot 41, on either side ofthis line, is known to be at an exact distance from such a point, asindicated by flange distance indicia 57.

Once all appropriate marks are laid out for oneposition of the gauge, itis again moved to a point along the beam where a next set of markingsare to be made as indicated by the tape measure. Thus it should beobvious that the invention provides, in a rugged, simple andfast-to-fabricate and operate, low cost and highly accurate beam layoutgauge, all the 90 lines, the gauges in the web and the flanges, for allthe holes and parts to be installed and the shear lines for cut-ofl,etc.

The layout gauge described above may be fabricated from any materialgenerally considered suitable in the trade for this type instrument,such as steel, aluminum, and the like. It should thus be understood thatthe materials used in fabricating the various parts and elements of theinvention are not critical. It should also be understood that theforegoing disclosure and drawing is to be considered only as anillustration of the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A layout gauge for laying out structural steel beams and the like,comprising:

a unitary broad strip frame member having a web portion with parallelside edges and carrying a plurality of parallel spaced relatively narrowweb gauge slots perpendicular to said side edges, said flange portionbeing adapted to lie flat adjacent the web of a structural beam, saidframe also having an elongate U-shaped flange portion adapted to fitover but not touch a flange of a structural beam, an inner arm of saidflange portion extending essentially orthogonally from an end of saidweb portion and an outer arm thereof being essen tially parallel to anouter surface of a flange of a structural beam and parallel to saidinner arm but extending beyond said web portion by a distanceapproximately the length of said inner arm, said outer arm having arelatively wide elongate flange opening centrally along a major portionof the length thereof;

means for holding said side edges orthogonal to the longitudinaldimension of the outer flange surface of a structural beam; and

a movable flange gauge strip having a plurality of parallel spacedrelatively narrow flange gauge slots perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis thereof, said flange gauge strip being slidably mounted on saidouter arm with said flange gauge slots adjacent said elongate opening.

2. A layout gauge according to claim 1, including means mounted on saidouter arm of said flange portion for adjustably maintaining said webgauge slots at a predetermined distance from an outer surface of astructural beam flange.

3. A layout gauge according to claim 1, including adjustment meansmounted on said outer arm of said flange portion for temporarily lockingsaid flange gauge strip at a desired position relative to said outerarm.

4. A layout gauge according to claim 1, wherein said outer arm includesa calibrated scale relative to structural beam web width.

5. A layout gauge according to claim 3, including calibrated flangescale means associated with said outer arm and said movable flange gaugestrip for centering said flange gauge slots with respect to the centerof the thickness dimension of a structural beam web.

6. A layout gauge according to claim 1, wherein said web portion of saidbroad strip frame member includes a relatively broad elongate channelextending the length thereof, and wherein said web gauge slots aredisposed in the remaining relatively thin portion of said web portion.

7. A layout gauge according to claim 1, wherein said broad stn'p framemember is fabricated in an extruding process with a relatively broadelongate channel disposed on the outer surface and along the entirelength thereof, and wherein said web gauge slots and said elongateflange opening are disposed in the relatively thin bottom portion ofsaid channel.

8. A layout gauge according to claim 1, wherein said web portionincludes web distance indicia adjacent said web gauge slots indicatingdistances of said web slots from the outer surface of a structural beamflange.

1. A layout gauge for laying out structural steel beams and the like,comprising: a unitary broad strip frame member having a web portion withparallel side edges and carrying a plurality of parallel spacedrelatively narrow web gauge slots perpendicular to said side edges, saidflange portion being adapted to lie flat adjacent the web of astructural beam, said frame also having an elongate U-shaped flangeportion adapted to fit over but not touch a flange of a structural beam,an inner arm of said flange portion extending essentially orthogonallyfrom an end of said web portion and an outer arm thereof beingessentially parallel to an outer surface of a flange of a structuralbeam and parallel to said inner arm but extending beyond said webportion by a distance approximately the length of said inner arm, saidouter arm having a relatively wide elongate flange opening centrallyalong a major portion of the length thereof; means for holding said sideedges orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the outer flangesurface of a structural beam; and a movable flange gauge strip having aplurality of parallel spaced relatively narrow flange gauge slotsperpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, said flange gauge stripbeing slidably mounted on said outer arm with said flange gauge slotsadjacent said elongate opening.
 2. A layout gauge according to claim 1,including means mounted on said outer arm of said flange portion foradjustably maintaining said web gauge slots at a predetermined distancefrom an outer surface of a structural beam flange.
 3. A layout gaugeaccording to claim 1, including adjustment means mounted on said outerarm of said flange portion for temporarily locking said flange gaugestrip at a desired position relative to said outer arm.
 4. A layoutgauge according to claim 1, wherein said outer arm includes a calibratedscale relative to structural beam web width.
 5. A layout gauge accordingto claim 3, including calibrated flange scale means associated with saidouter arm and said movable flange gauge strip for centering said flangegauge slots with respect to the center of the thickness dimension of astructural beam web.
 6. A layout gauge according to claim 1, whereinsaid web portion of said broad strip frame member includes a relativelybroad elongate channel extending the length thereof, and wherein saidweb gauge slots are disposed in the remaining relatively thin portion ofsaid web portion.
 7. A layout gauge according to claim 1, wherein saidbroad strip frame member is fabricated in an extruding process with arelatively broad elongate channel disposed on the outer surface andalong the entire length thereof, and wherein said web gauge slots andsaid elongate flange opening are disposed in the relatively thin bottomportion of said channel.
 8. A layout gauge according to claim 1, whereinsaid web portion includes web distance indicia adjacent said web gaugeslots indicating distances of said web slots from the outer surface of astructural beam flange.